A wide variety of implant devices exist today for various applications and uses. For example, an endoscopic capsule may be implanted to perform telemetry within the gastrointestinal tract of a patient. As another example, a brain-computer interface may be implanted to augment and/or repair various cognitive and sensory-motor functions. As a still further example, implanted micro sensors may be utilized for sensing physiological parameters of an individual. These and other implant devices may include various subsystems for collecting data, providing outputs based on collected data, performing calculations, and/or carrying out various instructions.
Implant devices are often small in size and/or include integrated components. Therefore, accessing, replacing, and/or rearranging the internal components of an implant device can be challenging or prohibitive. For example, it may be difficult to replace or rearrange components because some of the internal components are encapsulated with sealant at the time of manufacture. As another example, altering or changing internal components may be difficult because the handling of the components requires complex, expensive equipment and/or techniques that may not be available or known to those other than the manufacturer. As a result, the internal components of implant devices, including the battery, are typically fully assembled and wired at the time of manufacture, and not subject to change or replacement thereafter.
The battery of an implant device can begin draining after manufacture and assembly of the device. In cases where the battery is not readily accessible or changeable, it is necessary to maximize the shelf life of the battery and operational use of the implant device. Therefore, the amount of power consumed by the internal components prior to use of the implant device needs to be minimized.
One method of reducing the amount of power consumed prior to use of the device is to deactivate a portion of the implant device during storage and activate the portion of the implant device shortly before use. For example, an implant device may be configured to detect unpacking of the package containing the implant device and activate the supply of power from the battery only after detecting the unpacking of the package. However, this approach requires additional components to detect the unpacking of the device (such as a magnet and reed relay) and can increase the overall unit cost of the implant device.
Another approach for restricting the amount of power consumption is to deactivate a portion of the implant device during storage and periodically activate the portion of the implant device to detect whether the implant device has been implanted. While this method may eliminate the need for additional components to detect unpacking, power from the battery is still consumed each time the portion of the implant device is activated. Therefore, this approach may require a larger and more expensive battery to provide a sufficient power source for periodically activating the implant device and for subsequent use after unpacking. As a result, it may not be suitable for many applications.
Accordingly, existing systems and methods for activating an implant device do not address the challenge of minimizing the number of components and prolonging shelf life of the device, without increasing the power requirements of the battery or overall expense of the device.